Ignoring the blood and singe marks across his body, Zassrion roared his triumph to the sky, unleashing a mighty blast of electricity up in the air. Through the wall separating the aetherium from the courtyard, one of the shadows moved to take cover in the lingering fog cloud.
Breaking the necks of his conquests to ensure they would not come back to vex him, Zassrion growled at his minion. "Excellent work, Bishop Ezrael. Your intel about the intruders was most useful. Fetch my courtesans from the Sanguine Playhouse. Then remove their hides and add them to my suit. Perhaps between them and that other mortal I will finally be able to leave this accursed realm."
As the souls of the adventurers drifted away to join the other unfortunate mortals who had perished in this world in the Demon's Fen. With the one being who had cared for these souls, the Barrow King, killed and sent back to the Manmolds to be reformed and the votive candles knocked over, the souls could find no rest. Even when they saw the dragon lord flying overhead, their hides added to his quilt of skin but still trapped in the Harrowed Realm, they felt no peace.
As the years passed, yet more joined their ranks as the All-Seeing Hajeck was still compelled by Zassrion through her Harrow Deck to lure more mortals to their doom. But no matter how many mortals he killed, Zassrion came no closer to reaching his goal. He, and the rest of the Harrowed Realm, remained stuck in their never-ending story loops.
Given that I'll be leaving for a couple of weeks in a few days, I probably won't make something happen to push things forward right now. If y'all want your characters to do something before I leave, feel free to do so. Otherwise, I'll push things forward once I'm back.
@Rani and Taryn: I would suggest you either double up with someone or come up with another avenue to explore to avoid sitting out. You've all been texted about what everybody is doing and the spoilers weren't meant to be exclusionary, but those were the ideas for prompts I had based on what people have done in game.
Alfie at the Sheriff's Office:
Unfortunately for Alfie, it appeared that really, neither of the two chairs were particularly comfortable. It appeared that the Sioux Falls Sheriff's Department hadn't bothered to pay the extra cost of getting ergonomic office chairs. He attempted to lean back and discovered that in fact, the legs were bolted to the floor.
The deputy shrugged. "You'll have to ask Lt. Carter. Those kind of details are above my pay grade. I was told to bring you here, so I did. I'll go get your water." He left leaving his partner standing just outside the door. After a minute or so, he returned with some tap water in a styrofoam cup.
Alfie was left alone in the blank room with nothing of particular interest to look at for what seemed like an annoyingly long time. He was just about to pull out his phone to check exactly how long it had been when the door opened and a man with short blond hair in a tie and jacket opened the door and walked in. Closing the door behind him, he strode over to the table in a business-like fashion and took the seat opposite from Alfie. He placed a small folder in front of himself, pulling a few sheets out and quickly glancing over them as he talked. "Good morning. I am Lt. Carter. You are one Alfie Afla, is that correct? I just need to get some quick background details to make sure our records are up to date. Can you verify that the residence the deputies picked you up at is your current primary address? I also have a note here that you own a local business in the town, can you verify its name and what business function it serves?" He looked up, pulling a pen from an inside jacket pocket and preparing to take some notes.
Oscar at the Sheriff's Office:
The one person Oscar recognized was Danial Applebaum, and he recognized him less by his appearance than by his voice: the guy had an 'alternate news' podcast for the area. Most of his whopping 23 subscribers likely used the feed as a sleeping aid as he tended to speak slowly and rather monotonously. He was currently attempting to engage the group of camouflaged individual in conversation but they were rather pointedly ignoring his questions about what kind of bullets they were using and his offers to bring them in as 'expert witnesses' on his show once this was over. He didn't seem at all perturbed at their indifference, continuing to amicably ramble on about how they were starting to see the widespread effects of the government's secret transdimensional energy program even all the way out here.
After not too long a man entered the room, heading towards the front. Once there he started calling for everyone's attention. "Excuse me ladies and gentlemen, if I could get y'all to quiet down for a bit, I'd like to get this show on the road. I'm Lt. Charlie Buchannan, and I'll try to keep this short 'n' sweet. We have reason to believe a missing girl by the name of Alice has gone missing in the woods near the edge of town." He held up and then began to pass around a picture of Alice Campbell. "Now, as you're no doubt aware, that's a lot of ground we may need to cover, and we'll be able to do it much more quickly the more hands we have we have on deck. We're going to split you into groups each led by a different deputy who knows what area you've been assigned. Now, if this here is your first search party, here's the best way to get it done." He quickly went over the proper procedure, making sure people knew to pause long enough to listen for cries for help and to make sure to stay hydrated. When he was done explaining, he directed people to grab one of the small bags of snacks and a bottle of water one of the deputies in the back had been putting together and then to make their way to one of several deputies with clipboards.
Assuming Oscar plans to join one of the search groups, tell me a little bit about a couple of the people in the group he joins.
Ahmad at the High School:
Chloe laughed as she waved her hand vaguely around. "Oh, I have no idea what she does, but she's really good with computers. She's tried explaining it to me but it mostly goes over my head. And I'm glad you think it's your job to get out out of trouble because I maybe sorta kinda already asked her to look into it?" She gave Ahmad a slightly guilty look before hurriedly explaining. "I didn't want to waste your time if she didn't find anything! But it kind of maybe looks like is business might be a bit less than legitimate, as it were? My friend said she was able to..." Chloe trailed off, face screeching up in concentration before she shook her head. "I didn't really follow the explanation but I gather she found the encrypted chat room he was using to message his co-conspirators or whatever." She frowned, looking uncertain. "I dunno if it'd be useful to try talking to them? Or I could ask her to try looking into something else if you wanted?"
Spells: Mage Armor, Bless x2, Ear-Piercing Scream, Shadowmind x2, Mirror Hideaway, Accursed Glare, Heroism, Hollow Blades | Fortune used on: X | Ward: Trox
Witch 6 HP 38/38 | Mage Armor AC 18 14 T 12 FF 12 | CMD 15 | Fort 6 Ref 6 Will 7 | Perception 7
I will point out neither Druamin nor Trox have been making use of their Fortune hex buff...
Trying to step out of the way of the running Erond, René pants. "Don't...haha...mind me. Just gotta...catch...m'breath. Who knew we'd have ta...do so much...cardio...haha."
5ft step, Fortune hex on Reynard (see link above for effects), cackle.
You already used your Swift Action for the turn to increase your speed, did you not? Unless you can find something saying otherwise, I don't believe you get both a Swift and an Immediate action in a single round (I believe they're effectively the same thing except Swift actions are only on your turn and Immediate actions can happen on someone else's turn)
Immediate action wrote:
Using an immediate action on your turn is the same as using a swift action and counts as your swift action for that turn. You cannot use another immediate action or a swift action until after your next turn if you have used an immediate action when it is not currently your turn (effectively, using an immediate action before your turn is equivalent to using your swift action for the coming turn).
The answer to that is simple: Rani posted while I was writing my update, so I simply didn't see her post. She can read both the spoilers. Just remember that if she wants to help out, she needs to actually describe what she does to help Oscar.
Kaoru blinked as the facts took far longer than they should have to filter through his tired brain and fall into place. When they finally did, it just made him feel even more tired. "I guess she and Wing didn't really break up then..."
He wrapped his arms around Alexandra's bare waist and nuzzled his face into the crook of her neck. "Trust isn't as simple as a binary 'do or don't'. You can't trust her to tell you the truth, so don't. If you still wanted to be on the team with her, I'd ask if you trust that she's a competent fighter because that can still be used. But if we're quitting the team, the two of you never really seemed like you were really close, so what does it matter if you don't trust her?"
He stiffened slightly as Alexandra once again questioned her own ability. He sat up slightly, pressing his temple lightly against hers, moving one arm up to lightly hold her head in place. He then murmured soothingly into her ear. "Relax. Open your mind and reach out to mine with your powers. Stop looking at your performance through your eyes-"or whatever other a+%!!#! has given you unrealistic double standards"- and see yourself as I see you for a moment."
He focused his thoughts, slowly picturing all the amazing things Alexandra was capable of. Her observational skills, quickly picking out his secret where so many others had completely missed it. Her bravery, charging into fights where she was both outnumbered, outgunned, and sometimes already hurt. The incredible skill it took to do that, and not only not-die, but also actually manage to come out on top. All the super fights he had looked into with people who had gone into them with more than what Alexandra had and came out much worse. For good measure, he threw in a few memories of some of the better-written fan ravings about her amazing prowess (some of which had admittedly turned a bit *ahem* uncomfortable). Throughout all of it, he laced the feeling of warmth and safety he felt with her, and his supreme confidence in her abilities.
"If you want to keep being a hero, you are absolutely good enough to continue doing it, whether it's with this team or solo or with just me. And if you're only quitting because you think otherwise, that's not a good enough reason. If you quit, it's gotta be because you want to. Not because of some feeling like you have to or because you think you can't cut it because you can."
His lips flicked upwards in a sudden smile, a gesture that could be felt in the light kiss he placed on her jaw and heard in the teasing note his low voice took on. "Plus if you're only trying to quit because of some silly notion that you're not good enough, as team leader, I could simply command you to stay."
Kaldwell strikes out at the bird in front of him, only managing to hit twice but still able to deal enough damage to knock it out. Meanwhile Yattle blasts at Eliara and the practically-dead-on-its-feet-anyway bird next to her. The bird is fried as Eliara
Yattle:
Just checking, is that a physical blast or an energy blast? If I'm reading correctly, energy blasts require a spell resistance check (since Eliara has spell resistance), so if it's energy, you'll need to roll that as well.
While we're in a spoiler, you've also been Charm Monstered. Since success/failure would change what Eliara would tell her pets to do, I went ahead and rolled for you.
Delroy then steps forward and lashes out twice at the woman, hitting her once. Eliara simply smiles as she turns towards him, looking over his shoulder at the fey. "My dear, why do you fight me? With such power I do believe we could be fast friends. You, me, and my pets." With a wave, the bird that had been next to Yattle moves away, flying at Eirnar instead. It's not very effective, but the bird that moved up next to Kaldwell does manage to scratch him with its beak. 2 dmg to Kaldwell and he needs to make another DC 14 Fort save or take 3 Dex damage.
Lokhir took his turn too early, so since Yattle killed his bird, I'm having him move next to Eliara and using his first two rolls against her.
Lokhir then moved forward, landing a solid hit on the woman.
Round 5
- Eirnar (31 dmg)
- Balimar, Balio (just going to follow a PC and stand next to them)
- Yattle (8 dmg), Kaldwell (11 dmg), Delroy (44 dmg)
Round 6
- Lokhir (18 dmg)
As the car approached the group, it did not stop nor even slow down, forcing Silver Shadow to either jump or fall off if she wished to rendezvous with the group as it continued along to whatever its pre-programmed safe zone was.
The little puppet gasped as Delroy started to make a move towards him, backing off slightly. "Treachery! Fiend! Vagabond! How dare you!" As it screeches, the sound of thunder can be heard and the room grows dark. There's a flash of lightning that temporarily blinds everyone. When your eyes clear, the room you had been standing in has disappeared, replaced by an outdoor night scene. Freezing rain pelts down, instantly soaking everybody and cascading over the stone dais beneath your feet. Both the puppeteer and the thief seem to have vanished, replaced by dozens of shadowy figures standing in the distance, launching and mocking. Meanwhile, eight shadowy figures draw close with ravenous eyes.
How do you all respond? Also, since Balio beat Delroy in initiative, Delroy did not get off his studied target or dirty trick attempt.
Bryce's Apartment
It was initially hard to tell in the chaos of the room, but Ahmad eventually started to notice that there was more room for clothes than were scattered about the area. He checked the hamper in the closet and confirmed they weren't simply waiting to be washed. Between the number of items missing and the beat up, old, wheeled suitcase sitting unused, it looked like the man had grabbed enough clothing to last between several days to a bit more than a week, depending on how adverse he was to wearing the same things over and over again. Most likely he wasn't planning on returning here for a while. The fact that he hadn't taken his suitcase further suggested two things. First, that wherever he had left for was probably not one of the business trips Sarah had mentioned. The second was that he likely wanted to more mobility than a suitcase would allow.
In the trash, he found some old confirmation printouts for bus tickets with parts cut out, presumably where the actual ticket he had needed had been. The most recent of which was a bus that had arrived in Sioux Falls this past Thursday, or two days ago, in the early afternoon. It didn't look like he had booked another bus out of town, so wherever he was headed or whatever he was doing, it seemed likely he planned to remain in this general area. Though it seemed a bit odd that he'd pack clothing while planning on remaining local instead of simply coming back to his apartment to change clothes.
*****
Sheriff's Department Lobby
Under Fatima's confident, unflinching stare, Deputy Thompson finally wilted. "Let me call in to clear it with him." He moved back to his desk and picked up his phone, dialing a few numbers to connect with another internal line. After a moment, the person on the other end seemed to pick up.
"Yes, Sheriff?" "Yes, I know you said not to disturb you, but I have Mrs. Elmohtar and your daughter here to see you." "I...hold on let me check." He placed a hand over the receiver as he spoke to Fatima. "He wants to know what you're here about."
Before Fatima could go on a tirade about the importance of family and how it shouldn't matter, Sarah quickly spoke up. "Let him know it's about Alice and maybe getting together a search party."
Deputy Thompson repeated the information and then winced slightly. "I'm afraid they're quite insistent, sir." "Very well, I'll let them know." He turned once more to the duo. "He says you can go on in."
Fatima threw up her hands in mild exasperation. "Aiyiyi, you'd think we weren't talking about the safety of his only granddaughter." Sarah merely opened the door to the bullpen and headed inside. After a moment more of tsking, Fatima followed behind.
Towards the back of the bullpen, the older man behind the desk could be seen getting up and moving towards the door to the open area, gaze focused on where the two women were entering, clearly planning on meeting them part way.
Are Oscar and Alfie still planning on trying to find a way to the morgue? Asking because I believe Taryn is planning to wait out the other person in the nearby room, and if you're still trying to get there, most likely the resolution to that would happen before the other person takes a break. If you've changed your mind and want to do something else, then I may as well fast forward Taryn's timeline to when the break occurs.
Spells: Mage Armor, Bless x2, Ear-Piercing Scream, Shadowmind x2, Mirror Hideaway, Accursed Glare, Heroism, Hollow Blades | Fortune used on: X | Ward: Trox
Witch 6 HP 38/38 | Mage Armor AC 18 14 T 12 FF 12 | CMD 15 | Fort 6 Ref 6 Will 7 | Perception 7
"I have, yes. Her name was Keala, and she was quite proud of her beard. Assured me t'was the finest in her entire clan an' that only female dwarves who had been shamed by their menfolk shaved theirs off." René responded idly before adding. "She was also one of the best singers I've ever met."
Under the heat of Balor's gaze, Kaoru saw patches of metal across the car's body start to flicker. It only made him smile. He was pissing Balor off. He was good at that. Well, since I already have his attention... He turned off the camo just briefly as he sized up a bit. Rolling down his window just enough for his car's amplified speakers to carry his song to BalorBot, he zipped around, drawing the titan's attention as he Fast and the Furious-ed as best as he could through the destruction while dodging as much of the corruption as he could. Hopefully it would be enough for someone with some idea of what to actually do about the jackass to do....whatever it was that needed doing.
Are you watching closely:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (4, 5) + 3 = 12 When you mislead, distract, or trick someone, roll + Superior. On a hit, they are fooled, at least for a moment. On a 10+, choose 3.
- You get an opportunity.
- You expose a weakness or flaw.
- You avoid further entanglement.
Had a bit of a rough day, so between that and being behind on work, I may not get a chance to update this until Friday. But I did throw together a quick NPC summary sheet. Feel free to edit it (and let me know if you can't access it or edit it, though I think I've set the permissions correctly).
I did indeed nest spoilers! Though I cannot take credit for figuring it out since I think I found it while googling. Basically, the outer level needs a label while the inner one needs to not have a label, so something like
<spoiler=A label>Some text
<spoiler>No label</spoiler>
</spoiler>
But with square brackets instead of angled ones.
Unrelated, do y'all want me to make some kind of an NPC doc where you can add notes? I have my own personal set, but I can make a quick write up without the GM-specific details if you want.
I think we all just learned something about Alexandra...
Still on the Alexandra-only comm line, Kaoru retorted. "You prepare for the worst, that's the smart thing to do. But for godssake, you don't accept it. If you accept you're going to die, then you will. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you believe you'll die, you try that much less to prevent it. You'll respond just that little bit more slowly. Stop coming up with ideas and plans that much more quickly. G#@$~*n it Xan, we're not those a!+*@#*s who get to flip the bird to death. We only get one life, so we've got to make the most of it and fight tooth and nail to keep it."
I consider the above to still be part of my initial CnS roll.
He took a shaky breath, resetting his tone to something softer though with no less heat in it. "You wanna know why my dad died? He died because he f*$%ing gave up. The disease was 'too much'. There was no cure so he was 'dead anyway'." His grip tightened on the steering wheel, pushing the words through his clenched jaw. "We weren't enough for him to keep fighting for. And now I'm the one paying the price because he couldn't muster the will to keep fighting. And even now, I haven't forgiven him for it. So tell me, if our positions were reversed, would you be telling me to go gently into that night? Or would you be telling me to fight with every g%#*&+n thing I had in me to make it through and see you on the other side?"
When you share a vulnerability or weakness with someone, give them Influence over you, and ask them who they’d like you to be. Mark potential if you show them that person. If they’re a teammate, add a Team to the pool no matter what
*****
Since he was alone in the corridor, he quickly flicked his car up enough to look into the room before flicking it down again. あー、ガンダムだ! He then immediately shrunk back down. He needed to find some way in. But how? He drove to one edge of the door and started slowly driving along the edge, looking for a gap he could squeeze through. He wasn't seeing- hrugghh. The car came to a sudden, unexpected stop as his windshield flashed.
接続居ません
Baffled, he put more pressure on the gas. It seemed to do literally nothing. No engine revving -- not that it would, I suppose -- no lurching sensation. No nothing. He unbuckled his seatbelt briefly, opening the door (and wincing at the sudden cacophony of sound coming from down the hallway) and looking underneath the car to see what the issue was. Blinking, he seemed to be attached to the metal panel he had been driving over. Magnets? Grappling...thingie? Why would I have...
He swung up to sit back properly in his seat, closing his door against the nearby chaos. He looked over the panel of buttons. He had to have pressed something, right? What's this? It looked like sometime during his attempt-to-fly button mashing, he had pressed what almost looked like a button with the USB symbol on it. Because symbology is *soooo* much better than words. Or an instruction manual. It (probably) wouldn't hurt to try toggling it back off. He didn't feel any difference, but this time when he pushed on the gas, the car moved once again.
He chewed on his bottom lip in thought. Bits and pieces of a plan were starting to come together. But first, he needed to find a way through that door...
Assess:2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 1) + 3 = 6
But there just weren't any gaps for him to drive through. Ugh, stupid fallout 76 shelter...
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Level up summary:
Level 6
HP: 5 + 3 Con
Sorcerer:
+1 Sorcery Point
+1 Spell Known (Spirtual Weapon)
Shield of Faith => Revivify
+1 3rd level spell slot
Empowered Healing: Starting at 6th level, the divine energy coursing through you can empower healing spells. Whenever you or an ally within 5 feet of you rolls dice to determine the number of hit points a spell restores, you can spend 1 sorcery point to reroll any number of those dice once, provided you aren't incapacitated. You can use this feature only once per turn.
Warlock
+1 Spell Known (Dispel Magic)
Comprehend Languages => Tongues
Accursed Specter: Starting at 6th level, you can curse the soul of a person you slay, temporarily binding it in your service. When you slay a humanoid, you can cause its spirit to rise from its corpse as a specter. When the specter appears, it gains temporary hit points equal to half your warlock level. Roll initiative for the specter, which has its own turns. It obeys your verbal commands, and it gains a special bonus to its attack rolls equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum of +0).
The specter remains in your service until the end of your next long rest, at which point it vanishes to the afterlife.
Once you bind a specter with this feature, you can't use the feature again until you finish a long rest.
Are we also taking a short rest before the next wave? I'm assuming from the HP comment that we have at least enough time to heal up fully via the spirits before the next wave.
Also a reminder for SAM and Horat that you both have Aid on you, so when we heal up, you HP max is 5 higher than normal.
@Amhad: Tell me about the last time the power went to Devin's head and how you helped act as his conscience.
@Rani: More of a mechanical thing, but did you have an idea for a Rote you wanted to start off with? If not, you can just leave it as an open Rote to be filled in per normal after you've Used Magic. Also, can you switch your Harm tag to 0/7 instead of 7/7 to be consistent with everybody else?
I think I've sorted how the broad strokes of everyone's intro post. I should be able to get that out tomorrow, so y'all can roam loose upon the world.
And with 5 submissions, recruitment is officially over. I should have another post up hopefully in a couple of hours asking people to report in, I just have to finished writing a few things and actually create the approrpriate threads.
Well, so far no one else has expressed interest in The Flake, so I think you're probably good. :-)
And narrative device makes sense. I was just wondering if you had anything else in mind for it.
I wouldn't say your Mythos affects your personality so much as your Mythos wants to re-enact its story. What part of its story is up to you, and you can choose to ignore it (though if you do that too much, your Mythos may start to fade. Though that may be out of scope for what I have planned thus far).
Depending on your definition of "flashy," I wouldn't worry too much about my example ability. Yes, Dorian Gray probably isn't going to be flinging lightning about, but that doesn't mean abilities related to him need to be defensive. Maybe you want to do something around the painting aspect (maybe bring paintings to life?). Or...honestly I haven't actually read the book, so I'm mostly going off of pop culture, but I'm sure there are other aspects you could focus on. Or just more creative ways of using the elements I've mentioned to get different kinds of effects.
If you want to see an example CoM character, here's one that may look familiar who has a Lady Justice Mythos. Though admittedly that may not be the best example because there they're focusing more on his mundane life than his Mythos. But that's also definitely not the only way to do that character (or a Lady Justice Mythos).
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
I moved Uki next to Horat
Liv swooped in and grabbed Tinuk by the hand. With a cry of defiance, there was a crack of thunder and she was gone, along with the shaman, reappearing elsewhere. I wish I could have teleported further. But it's probably best to keep something between me and those centaurs.
Thunder step. All the quasits and the last remaining cambrion need to make, I believe it's DC 15 (8 + 4 Cha + 3 Prof) Con save. On success they take half damage. Thunder damage:3d10 ⇒ (9, 10, 3) = 22
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
As the hour passed, Liv stayed mostly towards the back of the cave to let someone else play lookout. She kept to herself though the occasional emotion would flick across her face unprompted. Mostly in the form of an eyeroll.
I considered seeing if I could convert a 3rd level spell slot into multiple lower-level spell slots through sorcery points. The answer is that I can turn a 3rd level spell slot into a single 2nd level spell slot or one 1st level spell slot and a single sorcery point. Seems like a pretty terrible exchange rate, haha.
Also a reminder to Horat and SAM that your HP maximum is 5 points higher than normal due to Aid.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Go save Horat!
Liv groaned. Was her captor really that stupid? It was trying to help him and the tin can that meant she wouldn't be able to block any other spells from the old woman like that again. Didn't she realize that being able to block massive attacks like that was far more valuable that doling out a pittance of healing? He was next to the Life spirit anyway. No, it was far more important to try to prevent another attack as best as she could again.
She ignored the voice in her head, channeling her energy to go and rush towards the woman's staff in unerring little bolts of energy.
2nd level magic missile. In the unlikely event that I break the staff, bolts will head towards the holy symbol instead. Or if she Shield's for the first bolt, I guess send the other 3 at the hellhound. Force damage 1:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 1 = 4 Force damage 2:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Force damage 3:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 Force damage 4:1d4 + 1 ⇒ (4) + 1 = 5 ...wow, MM loves me.
Then as much as she hated to do it, Liv flew away from the happy Life beacons. It simply wouldn't to have the entire group caught in one spell again. It made them too tempting of a target. As she went, she flew lower to the ground, hoping the walls would provide some cover.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Too bad I can't use inspiration to give someone disadvantage. Since I already had inspiration, I guess I just lose one of them, alas.
Also, I wouldn't say that Liv is a rage monster. She just cares a lot about her own well-being/not about others' well-being and has a very low tolerance for other people making what she would consider mistakes. And her getting put in a bad situation due to others' actions is definitely what she would consider a mistake. Really, she's of the opinion that both Horat and SAM should die/risk their lives to protect her, definitely not the other way around, haha.
Spells: Mage Armor, Bless x2, Ear-Piercing Scream, Shadowmind x2, Mirror Hideaway, Accursed Glare, Heroism, Hollow Blades | Fortune used on: X | Ward: Trox
Witch 6 HP 38/38 | Mage Armor AC 18 14 T 12 FF 12 | CMD 15 | Fort 6 Ref 6 Will 7 | Perception 7
If there is a relevant knowledge check for the stained glass or it detects as magical, then I won't do this. Otherwise, huzzah! Finally a use for this item! "Well, I don't like the look of that fella. So clearly, there is only one way ta deal with him if his is alive." With a grin, René pulls out a glass cutter. He then proceeds to cut out the man's head.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Since the saves would have happened on the helldog's turns, I'm going to wait to see which of Horat and SAM is worse off before posting my actions (also, a reminder to both of you that the life spirit means you regain 2 HP at the end of your turn). It's basically going to consist of Bonus Action Healing Word, and Action Eldritch Blast on the hex'd helldog.
Spells: Mage Armor, Bless x2, Ear-Piercing Scream, Shadowmind x2, Mirror Hideaway, Accursed Glare, Heroism, Hollow Blades | Fortune used on: X | Ward: Trox
Witch 6 HP 38/38 | Mage Armor AC 18 14 T 12 FF 12 | CMD 15 | Fort 6 Ref 6 Will 7 | Perception 7
René didn't like it. He didn't know what had happened which meant for all he knew, it could happen again. "So afore we head on inwards, perhaps we'd better take a moment ta do some healin'. I suspect it's only goin' ta get worse from here on in." He looked expectantly at Cordwin. Though looking at our loot sheet, it seems like we only have 3 charges on the CLW wand and 5 on the CMW. I could've sworn we had more. But given that everybody is currently somewhere between 1/2-2/3 health, seems like we might want to top off a little before going on.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Olivia zips forward but waits to unleash her magic until her companions have gone.
Readied action to Eldritch Blast the creature after Horat and SAM have taken their turns. That way they won't have to run after it if I push it backwards. Eldritch Blast 1:1d20 + 7 ⇒ (15) + 7 = 22 Damage 1:1d10 + 4 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 4 + (1) = 6+ pushed back 10ft
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Since Enizver kindly dealt with the demon going after Tinuk, I'm more than happy to spend my turn summoning another tower. :-)
Con Save DC13:1d20 + 6 ⇒ (10) + 6 = 16
Seeing that the immediate threat to Tinuk was dealt with, Olivia pushed past her feeling of revulsion at the demons and zipped forward. Dark energy swirled from the dead demon to coalesce on one of its fallen comrades as she reached out to touch the wall. There was crash of a wave hitting the beach as the ice melt into the form of a spectral sea horse. Puffs of cold air condensed as it whinnied silently and turned to look at the approaching demons.
Move forward. Bonus action to move Hex to the blue demon. Action to summon a sea spirit. Then move back again.
M Human (Tian-Min) Fighter 1 (HP 11/13 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | F 4 R 4 W 0 | Init +4 | Percept 1)
From behind his mask, Katsumi stared impassively at Casper for a moment as the man seemed to take pleasure in the thought of killing. "Dashki, I believe you would be better off helping us look for pugwampis in the cactus forest. Should you choose to remain here, yell if you run into any trouble." Though he thought this was likely not the correct approach, he then entered the cactus forest; if his companions found the creature they searched for, it was possible he was more well-suited than most to capture it alive.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Where are y'all getting this "we need to go further inland" idea from? We're looking for the shaman of the Bear Children and these are the Bear Children. Is this not where their village is?
M Human (Tian-Min) Fighter 1 (HP 11/13 | AC 19, T 14, FF 15 | F 4 R 4 W 0 | Init +4 | Percept 1)
I fully support Lady Vulpina shooting the mercenary.
Katsumi continued to help organize the vials. "Did you hear any screaming coming from the man when the fire broke out? Surely he would have managed to at least get one out if he accidentally lit his own wagon on fire." He paused. "Actually, do you recall the last time you saw the man, prior to his death?"
Arbitrary DM decision, everybody who wrote me a story for Brambleson gets a boon. This boon may be redeemed for a reroll on any check made with a d20. This decision can be made after seeing what you rolled. If you did not tell a story, you can still do so in order to gain the boon.
Brambleson listens with rapt attention to all the different stories. He groans when Lokhir's, "But what happened to Lidras? And what was up with that bloody vision?" He sighs. "See, this is why you don't write stories about the mad; you can never tell what happened!"
He nods sympathetically at Delroy. "Love 'em and leave 'em. I know the type. You give a group your all and they just kick you to the curb when they don't need you, wot. You should go back and show them what they're missing out on!"
He slaps his leg and gives a short chortle. "Isn't that so like the fan? You must've seen a lot, getting to visit another world though. I'd love to visit someday, but it's bloody hard to go on adventures when you can never get far from home." He turns to glare at the house still sitting in the clearing. "Was the gift this weird brown stuff? Kinda bitter if you ask me." He takes a sip but makes a face at the taste.
Seeing everybody looking at him expectantly, he claps his paws together. "My turn is it now? Jolly good! What to tell, what to tell." He tilts his head to one side, tongue sticking out slightly as he thought. Finally, his ears perked up and he started talking. "My story begins as all the best stories do: Once upon a time, hundreds and hundreds of years ago there was an aging bard. With no sons or daughters, she was the last of her long line and feared that with her death, all the stories her family had collected would die with her. To avoid such a fate, she retreated with all of her tales here, to the Hallowed Realm where no one ever ages. Here she found an ideal world, populated by the helpful Storykin and with plenty of nature's bounty to provide sustenance. In return for their hospitality, the bard shared her stories with them."
"As the decades passed, some of Storykin started to wish to leave this magnificent realm, to make the stories of their own. But this scared the bard. If some of the Storykin left, what was to stop the rest from following? Soon all the Storykin would wish to leave and who would be left to keep her company? She kept coming up with new and inventive ways to trick the Storykin into staying. 'Oh, I am feeling unwell. Won't you please stay until I get better?' or 'Surely you wouldn't want to leave before seeing Marzalee's most recent piece of art!' Eventually, the either strongest and most clever of the Storykin cottoned on to her schemes and came together to form a plan. The Ticktock Man made it night and Radiant Sunrise gathered water to create a great storm. With nothing else to do, Balimar offered to entertain her with his puppetry. Bernaditi then used his silver tongue to lure her into sitting on a great throne crafted by Marzalee, so that she might watch the show. With her attention on Balimar, The Nightpeddler and a heroic hare were able to spring the manacles, locking her to the chair. Now captured, the Conspirators triumphantly declared she could no longer hold them here. Furious, the old bard proclaimed that they would never leave her, and began to sing words of power. The world shook, and desperate to avoid whatever curse she was conjuring, Zassrion ripped out the old woman's throat. But alas, he was too late and her spell had already taken hold, trapping all the Storykin here for evermore." Brambleson pauses, letting the end of his story hang in the air before adding with a wink. "Or at least, that how the story goes, wot."
The group continues to chat late into the night, until you resume your nightly watch schedule. Brambleson continues to try to converse with all of you, not seeming a bit tired but finally gives up when it's clear you all intend to rest. By the time morning rolls around, he has left and the clearing with the house is nowhere to be seen.
Looks like there were 3 votes for the Caldera, so that's where we're heading.
The next morning Eirnar once again summons a phantom chariot as the group heads in the direction of the mountain looming not too far in the distance. Without Delroy needing to stop to check for tracks, the backtracking and avoiding areas too narrow for the bulky chariot to pass through is more acutely felt though it's still much faster than if you had been forced to walk.
It's early afternoon when you reach the area where the Briar ends. There's only a few dozen feet of clear area before the mountain abruptly starts without so much as a hint of warning that normally comes in the shape of foothills. Odder still, pipes of copper and stone seem to run through it at bizarre angles, as though they were buttresses struggling to hold the mountain upright. Cut in one side is a large staircase.
Going to pause here briefly in case anybody has any questions they'd like to ask Brambleson before he continues his wanderings or if there's anything you'd like to do before starting your long trek up the staircase (or if climbing the staircase isn't what you want to do next).
Sorceror 8 (HP 35/35 Resist Elec 5| AC 18, T 13, FF 11 | F 5 R 7 W 6 | Init +7 | Percept 13)
Tatsuo gave a slight shrug. "It could be worse. Animals seem to like me for some reason." Based on how he was continuing to feed bits of meat to his new friend, it wasn't that hard to guess what this 'some reason' might be. "And yes, this is Sora. We met shortly after I left my village and have been inseparable ever since. She does not come out all that often, but it seems she was getting restless and sensed an opportunity to make a friend." Sora blinked slowly before laying down and attempting to snuggle into Halli's warm fur.
*****
"The missing adventurers were supposed to meet up with the caulborn, but did not make it to the appointed spot. It seems there is an accord that we should meet the augurs, but before we go, do you happen to have any idea of how big the complex below the library is or perhaps what creatures now seem to be living there? We came upon a large movable model of the planets that we were not sure what to think of." Tatsuo felt some of the tension leave his shoulders. He did not particularly enjoy conflict, so he was glad their mission would not come at odds with what their new companion wished to do. It made things...simpler.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Wis DC 22:1d20 + 4 ⇒ (5) + 4 = 9
Olivia froze, staring at the creature. Three things immediately flashed through her head. The first: this was clearly another demon or devil or some such thing that they did not want to work with. The second: it was probably going to kill them all as soon as they refused. The third: There was a pretty good chance this had been set up by Fierna as a 'Look, aren't I a much better ally than the alternative?'
She start slowly trying to edge towards Horat. Definitely because she wanted to be able to teleport them out of there and absolutely not because she was trying to hide behind him. Nope, the thought never crossed her mind. Not a once.
At first level I suppose it doesn't really matter if linguistics is limited or not since I'm still putting a point in it (going to learn "read lips." Which I have yet to see be useful but one day it will and it'll be great). If you want, we can revisit at 2nd level, where it'll actually be relevant.
I guess my question for bp evaluation is what about things that are useful now, but not later? For example, Rich Parents is definitely pretty useful at 1st and maybe 2nd level. But at later levels, the amount of gold you typically have vastly outstrips the bonus, making it not nearly as useful as, say, a bonus to a skill. Or compared to the trait Duskwalker Agent, which (probably) gives you less starting wealth, but also gives you a lifelong discount on gear you buy from the Duskwalkers/bonus on gear you sell to them.
Oh, something I should probably mention, I plan to track progress towards a number of the achievement feats listed in the player's guide. There's a good chance I won't actually take the feats, but the (video)gamer in me loves the idea of them, so I'm at least going to try to track eligibility for myself.
1.Where on Golarion did we start when we were looking for Meloigne Garracy
2.Given the extremely limited opportunity for NPC intervention, can we pool funds for consumables resources [e.g. wands of cure light wounds, diamond dust for restorations]?
3. Can other's use a weapon we attune? If we're an existing party and I could take possession of their weapon and effectively use greater magic weapon using that ability to give it a plus two bonus, which would be nice since we have a two weapon fighter. If not, could our familiar use an attuned weapon? If nothing else, it'd be somewhat humorous to have a spell storing dagger with a cure serious wounds spell in it and for my familiar do something with that by abusing ant haul.
1) I leave that up to the party.
2) Absolutely! Oh, also on a related side note, for spells with expensive material components, you don't need to buy the components ahead of time. As long as you sacrifice the appropriate gold value when you cast the spell, that's good enough for me.
3) I did not see anything online talking about this, so I'm going to say sure. If you want to attune a weapon, you can then hand the +2 weapon over to someone else. If your familiar is able to wield a weapon, then they could use it as well.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
With three people striding into melee, Olivia is a little torn on who would need her protection most. The lodestone was one obvious choice. Then she hoped the new guy's shield would protect him as she decided her other target would be the one who could not wield a shield with his two-handed weapon. Climbing on her broom, she flew as high up as the ceiling would allow before letting her magic and crossbow bolt fly free. Unfortunately for her, only her magic flies true.
Using 1 sorcery point to twin shield of faith on Alain and Horat for +2 AC to them. Then crossbow bolt vs the toad-looking demon.
Sorceror 8 (HP 35/35 Resist Elec 5| AC 18, T 13, FF 11 | F 5 R 7 W 6 | Init +7 | Percept 13)
If he was being honest, he wasn't surprised to see the vegetation come to life. He was a little surprised that Oster hadn't notice. He didn't really know what the creature was, but if it was a plant, surely it wouldn't like fire, right? He let a blast of fire out from his hands before leaving the room. "Well, I see no reason to fight this thing."
Burning hands. DC 19 Reflex save for half damage Fire:5d4 ⇒ (4, 1, 1, 2, 4) = 12
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
I don't suppose our paladin happens to know Detect Evil and Good? Though I suppose that would only help if it is actually a devil/demon and not a cultist in disguise. Maybe if anybody has Detect Magic?
Unrelated, I'm going to be traveling/preparing for travel Sunday and Monday. Bot me as necessary.
Sorcery Points: 1/6 | Spell Slots 1st: 0/4, 2nd: 0/3, 3rd: 2/5 | Hexblade Curse: 1/1, Favored by the gods: 1/1, Accursed Specter 1/1, Inspiration: 0/1, HD: 6/6; Kit used on: Horat
Sorcerer 6/Warlock 6 (HP 56/56 | AC 13 | Init: +0 | Passive Perception: 14 | Str -1, Dex +0, Con +6, Int +0, Wis +4, Cha +7)
Olivia remained quiet, simply shrugging at the creature's accusation. Horat had been at these things longer, so he probably had a better idea of how to handle things.
Meanwhile, unheard by anyone, Liv seethed. What a *moron*. Does he simply believe I would have allowed Horat to die had he not been there? I had things *well* in hand. It's not *my* fault if Horat's skull is too thick to realize that charging in isn't always the best course of action. If he hadn't, I could have simply flown well out of reach, zapping those demons from a safe distance. *sigh* At least gaining another meatshield isn't too bad. And our life is a *lot* more interesting now that dear, sweet Olivia has been recruited to this little mission Horat's. Sure beats hanging out with the woods.
Kaoru lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Chloe was a comforting weight draped over the left half of his body. He was lightly running his fingers through her silky hair as she drew patterns with her forefinger on the back of his hand. He was slightly startled when she started to speak. "So, if you do want to be with Alexandra, I don't think you have to worry about Bran stealing her away."
He made a non-committal questioning noise, but he was pretty sure she could feel how he had tensed at the cult-leader's name.
"I'm pretty sure he has a thing for Wingblade."
He frowned. "What makes you say that?"
"The way he was looking at her as they danced."
He smirked. "Not sure it counts as dancing when you just pick your partner up. Besides, didn't you say that only show-offs with no common sense do lifts in a social dance scene since they can't control the people around them and could easily cause an accident? Part of the social dance contract and all?"
Chloe made a disapproving noise, though it was unclear if it was directed at his tone of voice or at Bran's foolish actions. "That's beside the point, Kay. He seemed pretty into her. And I could be wrong, but it didn't seem like it was entirely unreciprocated. So I don't think you need to worry about him stealing Alexandra or anything. If you still want to be with her."
Kaoru was silent for a moment. Chloe was generally good at picking up that sort of thing, so if she thought there was something there, there probably was. That made him feel...kind of happy. And then immediately guilty. Shouldn't he feel bad that Bran seemed to be stealing away Bronwyn's girlfriend?
...wait. Was *that* why they broke up? Wingblade liked Bran more than Bronwyn? He sighed. It made sense if neither Bronwyn nor Wingblade wanted to be the guy. They couldn't work that out, so they had broken up. Wingblade had found a new boyfriend. Next Bronwyn would find a new boyfriend. He had tried to warn them, but they had just brushed away his concerns. It would probably suck for a while, but she'd get over it. More importantly, this might just be the wedge needed to pull Bronwyn out of her disturbing subservience to that a@&%&~$. Surely she wouldn't still stand by him after he had stolen her girlfriend. And Wingblade...well...she could probably take care of herself. And if they needed to de-program her, he'd then have an ally in that regard.
So Alexandra is safe from him. Bronwyn will soon be safe. One by one, we'll save them from under his sway.
"You're smiling. Does that mean you've decided to continue pursuing Alexandra?" Chloe had tilted her head so her chin was resting on his shoulder, watching him.
"Hmmm? Oh, uhhh, actually I was thinking about Bronwyn."
"I like her. I'd totally be on board if you wanted to pursue her instead. Though if she's gay instead of bi, that might pose an issue with your current gender identity. Though things also get hazy when you bring genderqueer people into romance. It's possible she'd be into a trans-guy, though you'd probably want to have that discussion early on to make sure it's at least on both of your radars."
Kaoru blinked rapidly at Chloe. "...what?"
"You and Bronwyn. I think you'd make a cute couple. You'd just need to get to know her well enough that your playful side comes out more, then you could make her blush endlessly. It really wasn't that hard. It'd be supes adorb." Chloe flashed a cheeky grin as Kaoru continued to stare at her, perplexed.
"Why would I date Bronwyn?"
"Because she's an athlete and probably has great stamina." Chloe make a suggestive thrusting motion with her hips, causing Kaoru's eyes to go wide as he started to color.
He desperately moved to cover her mouth before she could say anything else absolutely mortifying. "Oh my god shut uppppppppp." Chloe merely batted him away as she started to dissolve in a fit of giggles. Kaoru buried his face under a pillow before yelling at her again, his voice muffled. "Shut up and go to bed! I mean sleep! Go. To. Sleep!"
Spells: Mage Armor, Bless x2, Ear-Piercing Scream, Shadowmind x2, Mirror Hideaway, Accursed Glare, Heroism, Hollow Blades | Fortune used on: X | Ward: Trox
Witch 6 HP 38/38 | Mage Armor AC 18 14 T 12 FF 12 | CMD 15 | Fort 6 Ref 6 Will 7 | Perception 7
Unfortunately, I can't do anything to stop them from hitting with a nat 20. :-/ "Heh, Cordwin, iff'n they're smart enough ta know how ta move 'round y'all's blades, I don't think they're gonna fall fer the playin' dead routine."
Hex Red's to hit. DC 15 to reduce to 1 round and then cackle to extend all the hexes by a round.
Statuses
- Purple, Green: -2 to hit (8 rounds)
- Red: -2 to hit (2 or 8 rounds)
